Rosecry

Getting married is a beautiful event. A momentous occasion in one’s life. But being a serial wedding guest can wreck havoc on your wallet.

It seems that ever since graduating from college, everyone and their sister, cousin, niece…you get the point…is getting married. The year after I graduated, I attended 6 weddings. They were all of close friends…and I was even the maid of honor in one of them! But after a short review … and a couple of calls to some girlfriends, I am starting to see how this is not only breaking into our time, but also into our wallets. Now don’t get me wrong, I am nowhere near jealous, nor am I upset that I haven’t walked down that aisle yet, but I am starting to worry about my salary and being able to AFFORD even attending a wedding…

Let’s see about how much I spent on these 6 weddings. The one in which I was the maid of honor, I spent at least $500 – which included the dress, shoes, make-up and hair. Now that I think of it, I left off the parties and the presents. For the other 5, I spent at least $300. That’s accounting for presents, outfits, flights, hotel accommodations, bachelorette parties, etc.

I did a little research on the web and found that the typical wedding guest spend between $60 and $90 on a wedding gift. This price can vary depending on the length of time one has known the bride and groom.

So far, we’ve touched to surface on expense…but gifts aren’t the only thing.

For women, we usually like to look nice. You know why…don’t act like you don’t…this is the first time in a long time that we have seen ex-boyfriends, old friends, old roommates, and the list goes on. So it is extremely important to look your best.

My BFF’s estimate on her cost is as follows: “By the time I count outfit, hair, present, hotel, transportation and spending money, I would easily spend $300 and that’s a modest estimate. But I definitely don’t resent spending it. I love going to and being in weddings. It’s a really special day for my friend.”

Spoken like a true friend.